Episodes

  • Ep. 69: Maximizing your beautiful life, with Elizabeth Kendig
    Jul 12 2024

    Full disclosure: this Your Story episode with Elizabeth Kendig is our longest of the season, and we could have easily chatted for another hour and a half.

    It makes sense that we cover a lot of ground because Elizabeth is majorly multifaceted. She identifies as a hippie disguised in J. Crew, dedicated to “taking the weird out of the woo.” Her investment in spirituality and healing is deeply personal: even while ticking all the so-called boxes of success and carving out a flourishing career as a content creator, beauty blogger, and skincare founder, Elizabeth struggled with depression and a stubborn auto-immune disease. This started her on a “self-help bender” that led to the launch of Healers Podcast and connected her with Spiritual Advisor Monica Lawson, with whom she co-authored Chase You, “a field guide to connecting with the Other Side to find more purpose and peace.”

    Whether you’re a spirituality skeptic like Betsy or a faith-filled Catholic like Ashley, this eye-opening conversation with Elizabeth has something uniquely for you.

    For example, what do popcorn, peaches, and butterflies have in common? Other than being great names for hamsters, they’re also signs that now carry special significance to Ashley, Betsy, and Elizabeth. And after recording this episode, they’ve all started receiving each other’s signs…cue the goose bumps.

    Elizabeth and Ashley met via a tree of extended sister-in-laws, so they affectionately refer to themselves as “Sister-in-Loves”. We’re confident you’ll finish this conversation feeling like an extended member of the family too.

    Speaking of conversations with friends, Elizabeth recently launched a creative venture with her good friend and fellow editor Kate Rogers: Les Femmes Quotidienne (Français pour “Women of the Day”) is a substack with advice and recommendations on everything from establishing boundaries to whipping up the perfect potato salad. Think of it as tips and tricks from your chicest bff.

    As always, you can watch this episode and find bonus content on our YouTube channel.

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    This episode is the season finale of Your Story. While we aren't exactly sure what next season will bring, we know we'll be back in some form because these conversations and this community fills our cup in a way nothing else does. Thanks as always for listening. We couldn’t (and wouldn’t want to) do this without you.

    Questions, ideas or feedback? Email: yourmom@yourmom.co.

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Ep. 68: Lisa McCaffrey's ready for the wedding, and your questions.
    Jun 27 2024

    We “soft-wrapped” Season 2 of YourMom the best way we know how: in robes, answering your burning questions.

    As usual, you guys really brought it: topics include Christian’s NFL Madden 25 cover (which Lisa definitely did not bet on in Vegas), what Ashley will most miss from her Pac-12 travels, punctuation etiquette; and of course, all things *wedding*, from Lisa’s dress drama to her planned Dirty Dancing choreography with Greg Van Roten. Plus, Lisa finally embraced her inner-influencer and revealed the secret to her glowy skin: Jones Road Miracle Balm; turns out, Ashley is also a devoted fan. Once again we’re open to sponsorships, collabs, free samples, etc…

    Thanks, as always, for listening and laughing with us this season. It’s not goodbye, it’s just see you at Your Mom's post-wedding debrief.

    And keep an eye out for the final Your Story episode of the season with the incomparable Elizabeth Kending, dropping soon!

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    Watch this episode on our YouTube Channel.

    Questions, ideas or feedback? Email: yourmom@yourmom.co.

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Ep. 67: Wedding SZN (and so much more) with Katie Webb Brundige
    May 23 2024

    May 23 is Ashley and her husband Chris’s nine year wedding anniversary, so it’s only fitting that she celebrate with…her wedding planner, Katie Webb Brundige. As we enter wedding season, Katie is here to offer some clutch insider advice for brides, guests, and mother-in-laws (*cough* Lisa *cough*).

    We also delve into Katie’s passion for the special needs community. In addition to running her events planning company Intertwined Events, she’s also the co-founder of RAD (Rising Above Disabilities) Camp, which offers programs and camps for adults and children with developmental disabilities. Katie also shares her journey to adopt two remarkable special needs sons: five-year-old Alex, who has Autism and Prader-Willi Syndrome and two-year-old Riley, who has Down Syndrome.

    Katie lives in a world of love, compassion, and unstoppable energy. While we suspect she has more hours in the day than the average human, it’s probably just that she has a larger-than-average sized heart. Simply put, she is straight up magic.

    And after this episode, we're convinced a podcast with your wedding planner should be the traditional nine year anniversary gift.

    Thanks as always for listening, and Happy Anniversary Ashley and Katie Chris!

    Questions, ideas or feedback? Email: yourmom@yourmom.co.

    Psst...our merch store is live! yourmom.co/shop

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    49 mins
  • Ep. 66: Why we need to record conversations with the people we love
    May 16 2024

    We’re halfway through what teachers and parents know to be “the thousand days of May”, a month of end-of-year celebrations, sports tournaments, field trips, dance recitals, and…the burnout that comes along with it.

    Amid their hectic schedules, Ashley, Chantal, and Betsy found time this week to sit down and interview their family members: Ashley’s daughter, who just turned five; Chantal’s nine-year-old son and 11 and 14-year-old daughters; and Betsy’s husband. This is an exercise close to Ashley’s heart; she’s been on a year-long journey to sit down and record conversations with her immediate and extended family. In fact, she’s even starting a company based on this very concept (more to come on that soon!).

    While Chantal and Betsy were initially hesitant to set aside the time (see above, re: the thousand days of May), they were both pleasantly surprised by how easy and impactful it ended up being. In the midst of to-do lists and daily tasks, we rarely sit down solely with the intention of learning something new about our loved ones.

    Ashley has always believed in the power of preserving stories, and a recent experience only reaffirmed her conviction. A few weeks ago, Ashley’s father suffered from a stroke. While he’s now out of the hospital and recovering, there were a few hours where Ashley wasn’t sure if she’d ever speak to him again. In addition to her feelings of shock and grief, she felt a deep peace that she could only attribute to the fact that nothing has been left unsaid between the two of them.

    So, if you’ve been waiting for a sign to sit down and interview your loved ones, it’s here. We’ve even got a few starter questions ready for you:

    What is your favorite book?

    How would you describe yourself?

    What was the best gift you ever received?

    What was the best gift you’ve ever given someone else?

    Describe a perfect day. Where would you go, who would be there,what would you do?

    What is the best quality in a friend?

    What is important to you right now? (or who is important to you right now)

    What do you think you are good at?

    What is one of your favorite memories of us together?

    How do you think we are alike? How are we different?

    Is there a question you want to ask me?

    What do you wish I understood? (And maybe…what do you wish I understood better about you?)

    If you had a crystal ball that could tell you anything about your future, what would you want to

    know?

    Thanks as always for listening. Good luck with the final 500 days of May :)

    Questions, ideas or feedback? Email: yourmom@yourmom.co.

    Psst...our merch store is live! yourmom.co/shop

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    42 mins
  • Ep. 65: Mother's Day Special with ESPN's Molly McGrath
    May 12 2024

    We’re thrilled to celebrate Mother’s Day with the inimitable Molly McGrath and her incredible mom, Deb!

    Molly currently serves as a sideline reporter for ESPN/ABC Saturday college football games, as well as college basketball. She is also the devoted mom of Ray (3) and Pierce (1). Molly went into labor with Ray the night of the 2021 National Championship. Since then she has covered three National Championships, including one while eight months pregnant with Pierce. One of her proudest moments was finding out that she was nominated for a Sports Emmy while nursing Pierce at just two weeks old.

    Ashley and Molly are connected not only as sports broadcasters and moms, but also as Boston College alums (Go Eagles!). During her time at BC, Molly created the student reporter role and received the “Athletic Director’s Award for Academic Excellence.” According to Lisa, Ashley won the “Best Bar Hopping Award”, which is basically just as impressive.

    Meanwhile, Lisa and Molly bonded over the shared struggles and joys of being a #boymom. And though this interview was their first official meeting, tune in to hear why Lisa had her eye on Molly for many years.

    Just when we thought we couldn’t cram any more love into this episode, Molly’s mom Deb joined us as a surprise guest. Deb is a retired cardiac nurse and former head of her department at San Francisco General. She currently volunteers for Hospice and cares for Molly’s father, who is terminally ill with lung cancer. She is, in Molly’s words, “a saint.” No one could hold back the tears as Molly and Deb shared their mutual love and admiration for each other. We don’t pick favorite episodes, but if we did, this one would be up there…

    On behalf of all of us at YourMom, Happy Mother’s Day love to all the moms and mother-figures out there making the world a better place. We love you.

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    We also know for many people, Mother’s Day weekend can be a painful time. In honor of anyone facing and grieving the loss of their own mom, we recorded an episode last year with Yogi Roth to pay tribute to his late mother, Devorah Channah Roth. We hope you can find comfort in Yogi’s story and Devo’s lasting memory.

    Questions, ideas or feedback? Email: yourmom@yourmom.co.

    Psst...our merch store is live! yourmom.co/shop

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    57 mins
  • Ep. 64: "People need to be called in." Rachel Wegner explains why she wrote "To Be a Jew" and the healing power of sharing your story.
    Apr 16 2024

    Back in October, Ashley came across a Medium story written in the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist attacks: “To Be A Jew” by Rachel Wegner.

    As Ashley read the first line–“I believe in the power of stories to bring people together, to build bridges and to create connection”–she stopped in her tracks. She had jotted down almost the exact same words during a previous conversation with our executive producer Betsy Bloom. The universe was sending a powerful message: reach out to Rachel to see if she would share her story on the pod. Long story, short: she generously agreed, and we are thrilled to now share it with you.

    The Jewish holiday of Passover– which commemorates the Israelites' freedom from slavery in Egypt– begins at sundown on Monday, April 22nd and ends the evening of Tuesday, April 30th. It is a time of reflection and celebration, an opportunity to be together in community to acknowledge an ancient, complicated history and lift each other up with unrelenting hope for a future where all people are fully free.

    In this episode, we explore Rachel's personal struggle with modern-day othering and her internal quest for freedom while also rejoicing in the moments that bring her light and keep her hope for a future of true togetherness alive.

    We hope this episode inspires you to build your own bridges of connection, be they across the table or across the aisle. Chag Sameach!

    --

    About Rachel Wegner:

    "I am an educator and school leader with over 20 years of experience teaching and leading in schools. I believe education is freedom and it is the key to the Jewish concept of "tikkun olam" - repairing the world. When we know, love and serve students fully, we create the next generation of learners, leaders and listeners who believe in their abilities and have the skills to create change. I am passionate about equity work and it is at the center of what I do, what I believe in and what I have come to see as the most important work there is. I believe dialogue founded on trust, intentionality and vulnerability has the power to rebuild dysfunctional systems and structures so everyone has an opportunity to live their most meaningful life."

    Questions, ideas or feedback? Email: yourmom@yourmom.co.

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    59 mins
  • Ep. 63: Necessary Endings: Ashley signs off her final show with the Pac-12 Network
    Mar 23 2024

    Fresh off her last on-air broadcast with the Pac-12 network, Ashley Adamson sits down with leadership coach Chantal Below and executive producer Betsy Bloom to process the sweet sorrow of “necessary endings.”

    In our early years, endings are honored with graduations, diplomas, and yearbooks. But, as we get older and lose these rituals, it becomes harder to identify the “right” time to make a change or say goodbye. And, as Chantal points out, maybe there isn’t a “right” or “wrong” time, just choices and consequences.

    And, what about those endings we don’t see coming: the last time we see a loved one before they die, the last time we eat at our favorite restaurant, the last time we tuck our kids into bed? How can we acknowledge the finales that conclude without fanfare?

    Endings always leave us with more questions than answers. In the end, our most important lesson came from a children’s book: the power of embracing “maybe”. How fitting, then, that Ashley signed off from her final broadcast with this quote from Bruce Springsteen: “Maybe everything that dies, someday comes back."

    You can subscribe for more episodes wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel.

    Questions, comments or feedback? Email: ashley@yourmom.co.

    Questions, ideas or feedback? Email: yourmom@yourmom.co.

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    56 mins
  • Ep. 62: Super Bowl postmortem with Lisa McCaffrey
    Mar 5 2024

    Ashley, Lisa and Hot Betsy recap the past month, including the highs and lows of the Super Bowl, exciting NFL combine results for Luke (or as Ashley’s daughter Cora now refers to him, Luke Skywalker), ongoing wedding plans (if you have any mother-son wedding dance suggestions, drop us a line), and the injustice of half-empty toothpaste tubes and faulty washing machines (any brands out there that want to set the record straight, feel free to sponsor the pod).

    Come for the football scoop and stay for Lisa processing the fall-out from her viral moment.

    Thanks as always for listening, please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

    Questions, comments or feedback? And do you think Lisa should wear beige jorts to Christian's wedding reception? Email: ashley@yourmom.co.

    Questions, ideas or feedback? Email: yourmom@yourmom.co.

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    43 mins